Supporting low-income families

2 Jul 2026 12:12 PM

£2.5 million to expand after school activities.

An additional £2.5 million is being invested to expand free after school activity clubs for primary school children from low-income families, starting this August.

The investment builds on the success of the Extra Time programme – delivered in partnership with the Scottish Football Association (SFA) – which currently supports around 5,000 children every week across 50 clubs in 27 local authority areas.

The new funding will test different activity provision across Scotland, focused on helping children and families who would not otherwise be able to afford access to after school activities.

The funding will support activities in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Moray, Borders, Highland and Shetland, working with St Mirin's Out of School Care, YouthLink Scotland and the SFA. Provision spans rural, island and border communities, with activities ranging from sport and arts to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and creative skills.

Cabinet Secretary for Education Màiri McAllan said:

"Every child deserves the chance to take part in activities which support their health, wellbeing and confidence – regardless of their family's income. This investment will open doors for more children who might otherwise miss out, while also helping their parents to work, increasing household incomes and tackling child poverty.

"Building on the strong foundations of the Extra Time programme we are now testing a wider range of models across Scotland – from island communities in Shetland to the Borders – so we can learn what works best and shape the future of school-age childcare."

Background

Activities run Monday–Friday, 3–6pm, for primary school children from low-income families. All providers will have safeguarding policies, PVG checks and insurance in place.

The £2.5 million is part of a wider 2026-27 Scottish Government investment in school-age childcare including:

• £5.5 million continued investment in the Extra Time Programme
• £15 million Childcare Support Fund to help low-income families with childcare costs
• £15 million to expand breakfast club provision in 2026-27, with £3 million for Bright Start Breakfasts and £44 million annually from 2027-28, working towards a national breakfast club offer for all primary school children by August 2027
• continued £6 million investment in the childcare early adopter communities across six local authority areas, and almost £1 million in Access to Childcare projects